Scarlet Justice - ep. 105
"Innovations"
[Earth Country Collections: Opening]
A night of rest before we start on the road again. It's a short distance to Tenchi Bridge, relatively speaking, and we see an increase in the number of travellers. Some have wares to sell and make their attempts as we pass at high speed, others are simply determined to get to their destinations. We stop at the entrance to the bridge, where Erika unrolls the relevant part of the mission scroll and shows it to the shinobi who stops us. He gruffly lets us through and we dash across to the other side.
As noted before, there is an abundance of rivers and ravines throughout the nation. There are also many forests and grasslands; the former we pass through now is composed mainly of bamboo. The material sees widespread use in the homes that we pass by as we run. We are not very far from the Hidden Grass itself. Briefly, I wonder about the state of the country. It seems that it is doing well enough, despite being sandwiched between two of the most powerful shinobi countries that have long been at odds.
"Erika...if I recall correctly, Orochimaru impersonated someone from that village during the Chuunin Exams," I say to her.
"Yes, that is the case. Given the removal of liability due to the nature of the exam second round, nothing could truly be done about it at the time. However, Lord Hokage personally expressed his condolences and offered compensation to the surviving family members."
"Awfully nice of the old man," Ino says. "So what was the catch?"
"Increased positive relations and a reinforcement of diplomatic ties. The usual things. Grass has a robust intelligence network and the strongest diplomatic ability of any country on this continent. This is one way that they have kept ahead of conflict and defended themselves in times of trouble. They analyze various techniques, they are careful in their dealings, and their shinobi make themselves hard to read."
"Like you, right?"
"A fair enough analogy. Though I don't have the best poker face...I tend to be too open at times."
Ino chuckles lightly at that. "That's a little hard to believe, hon."
"Is it?" she asks.
"Just a little," I add in.
"Hm. I see. Well, all of that aside...they make for a welcome ally, and so it is in the best interests of the village to keep ourselves in their good graces. As much as possible, one supposes. The current initiative, which will bring in an increase in positive economic activity, is one way of remaining in those good graces." Erika looks at me. "Also...one of the children that we recovered from the operations against the Hidden Sound was from the Hidden Grass. She was an orphan, serving the village with her medical ability, but while on a mission was stolen away by Orochimaru and made to work for him."
"There must be a great many stories like that," I say.
"I do not have all the details, but I think you should make time to speak with her at some point, Lili. She's expressed an interest in meeting you."
"A fan, then? Intriguing. She also might be one of the children that Fio will be connected with soon. Either way, I will make some time for her."
"Much appreciated."
"Can't imagine what it must have been like during those world wars," Ino says as we leave the bamboo forest. "Especially the last one...your entire country, just reduced to the front in a terrible series of fights. Children being called up at such young ages, just to die in those bloody fields. Hurts just thinking about it, you know? As violent as the exams got, they had to be nothing in comparison."
"The scars run deep, and have not been forgotten. I have run this route before, due to the nature of my work. Let me show you," Erika says. We fall in line and run behind her, across the grassy fields. Eventually we come to a stop and look at the scene in front of us.
"What has been done cannot be undone. What was seen cannot be unseen. Those memories are what we must use to create a new future. These are the things that inform the actions of our Hokage. They are reminders of the sacrifices we have made in the past, the ones we make now, and the ones we will make in the future. Lives, filled with meaning."
"..."
It is a small place on the endless battlefield. Terrain altered by jutsu and weapons, explosives and poisons that have seeped into the soil. Uneven ground, interrupting pockets of grass that have tried to fill in the gaps. And flowers of all kinds. There are weapons stuck into the ground and lying on it, rusting away slowly. Surely the headbands and bodies were recovered all those decades ago, but the remnants of clothing, the broken and useless gear...they lie in place, forgotten in the chaos and strife of war. I can see the pictures of a battle, of many battles taking place over and over again in this space.
There are no memorials. No attempts to give a voice to this moment in history. Perhaps it was forgotten by the people of this nation, or perhaps nobody cared to do anything. It doesn't really matter, maybe.
"Lest we forget."
The meaning of Erika's words, and the reason she brought us to the place, is clear. Our reason for being is to fight for something beyond this. Far beyond this. The old man must realize it as well, that the velvet glove can only do so much. Strength is necessary...even if it might mean more bloodshed for a time.
"He must worry greatly," I say.
"Time is running short. It is not fear that he will leave the earth," Erika says. "Rather...it is that his strength will wane before the greatest tasks can be completed. We are here as his mighty arms, but it cannot remain so forever."
"The body politic, then..."
"Yes."
"I wonder about being made the head of such a thing."
"I see. You have time to make a proper decision, and I will see to it that you are not rushed into making one."
"Thank you."
The three of us stand together and look out into the field, silent and unmoving.
"All of this fighting and hatred...the stuff that's taken so many people from this world and broken so many relationships into pieces. We have a chance to change all of that, don't we?" Ino asks.
"We do. Maybe not right now, but things like this...they're a start," I say. "They hold a lot of meaning for people like us. Those who are physically girls but mentally women, with all of the baggage and responsibility those changes carry."
"Yeah. This is a good start. And it doesn't need to be our sons or daughters that carry on our legacies. We can form those great bonds with so many others."
"Our first step will be completing this mission and returning home. With patience, the world will be in our hands, to shape as we wish," Erika says.
"Becoming the world's nemesis, then? I suppose if that's what it takes," I say as I flip my hair backwards. "My title as the World Serpent should not be just for show. We will become a force to be reckoned with. But for now...it is as our peerless leader says. Awaiting your orders."
Erika smiles and nods. "Into formation once more, ladies. Follow my lead."
"Ma'am."
And so, we leave that lonely memorial behind...the unspoken promise to those souls rising towards heaven. That one day, that dream of peace in our hearts will be made manifest.
"Authorization has not been given for entry into the country's interior. But of course, that is how the shinobi business tends to work."
Late evening, 1935 hours. The sun has set about two hours prior. We've crossed boldly into Earth Country, a place that as noted has much in the way of desolate, rocky land. In fact the first obstacle is a particularly jagged sort of mountain range, nominally climbable by regular means and a robust way of blocking travellers or enemies. Large scale attacks on this front would be difficult, which explains why the Leaf didn't simply surge in across the Grass Country border and attack the Hidden Rock so long ago. The best ways to do that are by sea from the north, and surging up through Wind Country from the south. But both of those options would require considerable planning, especially without the cooperation of the surrounding nations.
"We have falsified documents that will be able to buy us some time if we are spotted on the way to the mission. It is preferred that we remain undetected throughout," Erika explains.
"As is sensible for those in our occupation," I say as we climb. Patrols are not terribly tight, and there are enough animals around to keep the tracking types occupied. We suppress our chakra as much as possible as we move. The darkness helps conceal our forms, and we make our steps as light as possible.
The southwestern part of the country doesn't have much of note. Likely why the items are being stored here in the first place - it wouldn't occur to most to search around a barren, rock-filled area like this in search of precious treasure.
"There."
Erika has us stop and points out a hill in the distance. It stands out somewhat against the rest of the terrain, even in this darkness.
"Artificial, then."
"Yes. They should have at least one sensor on board. I suspect there is a structure that allows them to detect incoming intruders from a distance. I will start my scouting. The two of you will find a good vantage point and hold there until I return."
"Understood. Be safe, Erika."
"I will." She silently disappears and leaves little trace of her presence. Even her chakra is pushed down as much as possible. Little wonder she was scouted for ANBU so early on.
"Come, Ino. I'll get us to a good place."
"Got it. Following your lead."
If there is something like Erika mentioned, I should be able to feel it if I focus properly. The artificial nature of the hill and the structure on top of it means that atmospheric aberrations will be limited, and thus an increased amount of control can be exercised over the space in the atmosphere. In a word, the hill and the immediate area can be used as an extension of the shinobi on it, able to channel the signature Earth Release techniques that would be used to attack and defend. While I boast a clear elemental advantage, I can't rely on that alone. Especially not when I have my teammates to consider.
"How's it looking so far?" Ino asks as we dart into the nearby forest.
"Nothing to report. We should be more than fine from this distance, and I can sense a proper shift from here...but I can be a bit more precise."
"Can you?"
"Yes. I'm going to activate that mode for a moment."
"You mean...ah, right. I saw it in your memory. Okay, I'll be here to back you up."
"Thank you. Let's begin." I close my eyes and reach into myself as we continue walking. That place, that familiar feeling...there. "Void Heart, activate."
The world falls into immediate silence, and things start to slow in my vision. It is not like the last time I used it, fighting those chaotic emotions and struggling to stabilize myself. This is smoother and much cleaner...I feel my mind and body switching gears, moving to a higher output as I call for it in this moment. I can push my sensing out further, in a much easier manner than ever before. Very intriguing.
It is also somewhat draining, I notice. Aside from the sealing of every emotion inside of me, I could be taxed beyond my limits if I am not careful. Fortunately one of the great boons of this form is the heightened awareness it provides. I obtain an understanding of how this transform extracts energy from my body and its reserves. More food...fats and sugars. I see, that much is sensible. Dietary adjustments will be made upon my return home, and I will improve both my chakra control and physical energy management immediately. Efficiency should be sharply improved within the next fifteen seconds.
The mission focus. From the data obtained, the modified structure and sensor shinobi inside do not offer protections outside of a two kilometre radius from the front side. Personnel can be moved in order to increase the effective range, but it is unlikely at this time. Total number of personnel: thirteen. Three secure the perimeter, leaving ten inside. Breakdowns are complete. Best to share with Ino so that our planning can run smoothly. Internal optimizations are completed. Void Heart can be safely deactivated.
"Offline."
I let out a breath and return to normal.
"You okay?"
"Yes, I'm doing well," I say to Ino. "No problems. A bit strange using that form on my own for the first time, but...it was surprisingly smooth. I sort of like it, you know?"
"Heh. Only you would say something so out there. Most people dread turning into robots and stuff like that."
"Mm. I suppose, but that's their loss. Being able to really stretch your mind out like that is...well, it's quite exciting, to say the least. Now, we've gained a good bit of data from that session. We are well away from their maximum effective range, based on my calculations of the enemy type, structure type, and chakra levels as well as potential-"
"Oi, oi. Pump the brakes a bit, girlfriend."
"Right," I say with a sheepish smile. "Sorry...I was still coming off that high, wasn't I."
"Yeah, I'd say so. But don't worry about it, just go at a speed that a normie like me can follow."
"Yes, of course. I'll draw out our current status." I take out a scroll and a pen, then quickly start drawing. While the layout of the interior isn't something I can figure out with sensing alone, we might be able to get something once we get close enough. Thirteen people, three outside in a periodically rotating, triangular formation. Ten inside. Five on one floor, four on another, one below the earth - meaning a basement or something similar.
"Okay, so we've got the three levels to deal with. Given how our techniques work...if we hit one of them at the right time, we can gain quick access to the inside and cut out a lot of the nonsense that would usually happen. Unless we want to make a statement of some kind?" Ino muses.
I tilt my head upwards as Erika comes in. She lands with barely a sound next to us.
"Captain? Are we here to make noise?" I ask.
"Fewer disruptions are always a boon for us. But I expect that we will have to take down at least a few soldiers in the process. Non-lethal methods are preferred for this mission."
"Sensible." I hand her the scroll. "Here's what I have. Ino, what was your idea just now?"
"You aim for me and I can fire off the Mind Transfer Technique at one of the targets. I figure I can get a good look at the interior for a bit before I leave, and they go on high alert."
"That might make things a bit difficult once it happens," Erika says as she reads. "One in the basement area...hm. Effective range is only that much, then? How far can your technique go, Ino?"
"If I push enough chakra into it...should be at the edge of that limit."
"Inefficient, in that case. We want you in good health in case anything happens. So that means we will need to get closer. Two kilometres is the maximum effective range according to Lili's calculations. Very impressive detail, by the way."
"Thank you," I say.
"You are quite welcome. With the abundance of data and our plan largely mapped out...I propose we hold for a few more hours, eat something, and prepare to strike when the enemy's defences are thinnest. They cannot hold their patterns forever, and sensors are always in much higher demand than there is supply."
"Two of them, one outside and the other on the ground floor inside," I say to Erika.
"We find the first link on the outside, and connect from there. Easily done," she replies. "A quick snack, then?"
"I got some fancy stuff from home packed. Just gotta heat it up properly," Ino says. "Hope you girls like stew."
"Ooh, do I ever. Lots of veggies?" I ask.
"Everything you could ask for and more. Oh, do we even have a good place to get a fire going?"
"Mountains back the way we came. I can keep an eye on them from here while we take proper cover. Wind is good, too. Chilly, but what isn't this time of year. This way."
Now, there is a way to build a fire pit that greatly reduces the amount of smoke, and we actually do this quite a bit on missions. As a result, I've become good at building such structures quickly when needed. They're great with heat, which means much better cooking on the whole. But with a rapidly opening and closing window, we want to start and finish as quickly as possible, meaning there's no time to dig the two pits and connect them properly like we would want. So a normal fire it is. The smoke will be carried away by the light winds, and hopefully we don't have anyone staring out too hard in this direction.
By the time we get into our food it's past 2300 hours. I've been reaching out into the void to see if there's any major movement, and nothing is happening so far. At least it allows us to finish our stew, which was delicious.
"Did you make this yourself?" Erika asks Ino.
"Sure did. What'cha think?"
"It was a delightful meal. Thank you for sharing it."
"You're welcome! I didn't bring too much with me, but maybe next time we can have a double helping for ourselves."
"That would be lovely."
Is this something happening? Movement...yes. Most of them are gathering in one place. I can only assume they're taking a meal break...in any case, this is our chance.
"We have action, ladies. Seems it's snack time for our hungry guardians," I say as I stand up. We all toss our wooden bowls and spoons into the fire.
"Then it's time for us to do a little feasting of our own," Ino says.
"The effective sensing range should be much lower than estimated," Erika adds in. "We should have an easier time getting this done. I will go completely dark and wait for you two to make contact with the sensor shinobi they are sure to have outside."
"I'll have an eye on you either way," I say as I tap my nose. Erika nods with understanding.
"I trust you both. Good luck."
She disappears into the night as Ino and I move forward. We step within the two kilometre range and nothing flares up. Cutting that distance in half yields the same non-result. No need to get closer and compromise anything...Erika is slowly making her way up the hill, with her chakra suppressed all the way to nearly nothing. Because of that, she won't be able to perform any attacks or make quick movements without exposing herself.
"Feeling confident, Lili?"
"Always."
"Then I'm in your capable hands, as always. Let's give our girl some breathing room, shall we?"
"Let's." I stand behind Ino and place my hands over hers. She moves them into position for her clan's signature technique, the Mind Transfer Jutsu. A technique like this, whether it succeeds or fails, leaves the user in a completely vulnerable state as their consciousness leaves their body. The kind of jutsu that is a straight shot in one direction, moving relatively slowly. That is why people like Ino are paired with people like Shikamaru and Choji, as the former can move her body if needed, and the latter can defend her physically.
"Hey. You remember the exams?"
"A lot happened there," I reply. "Which memorable event are we speaking of?"
"When I tried to get inside your head and your perverted id or whatever tried to have her way with me."
"Ah, yeah. I remember that little episode well."
"I bet you do. Those were fun times, you know. Aside from the murder, and...you know, the whole invasion thing."
"Indeed."
"We've come a long way since then. Well, since the Academy and me wanting to bring you down a few pegs. I really was stuck on Sasuke. Makes me cringe a bit thinking about it."
"Things like that happen. Youth, youthful mistakes, all of that."
"Yeah. And now I'm about to entrust my body to a known...what was the word you used? Connoisseur of women. And one of my best friends in the whole world, but you know. Details."
"Right. You are a terrible flirt, you know that?"
"I know. And you love it, just like you love me."
"Of course I do. Our target is coming into range, along the predicted pattern. Ready? Breathe."
We slowly synchronize our breathing. In...out. In...out. In...out.
The pattern becomes second nature, and I can feel Ino's body move in time with mine. From this point, all I have to do is squeeze and she'll react. Missing won't be the end of the world, but we don't want to make mistakes at this stage of the game.
Three...two...one. Squeeze. Ino falls limp in my arms and I make sure to catch her. We should have landed it, but only time will tell. I sneak in closer with Ino's body in my arms and feel out the positions of everyone else, while waiting for the promised signal.
"..."
The male shinobi standing on the hill looks in my direction. He grins and subtly flashes a double peace sign.
I smile back.
Success. We are in.